People wear gloves for a variety of reasons. Your job may need you to wear a pair. Gloves provide protection against a variety of injuries and illnesses. Depending on the gloves, it may protect you from physical injuries. Some gloves provide protection against chemical injuries or infections.
The same applies for airsoft. Gloves help prevent BBs from damaging the hands. They also provide additional grip to hold airsoft guns.
What you should be looking for in an airsoft glove is a combination of price and build quality. In this article, you’ll find the best airsoft gloves like the TAC9ER Kevlar Lined Tactical Gloves.
Top 5 Airsoft Gloves: Comparison Chart
This table will act as a visual guide to help you decide. It shows five of the top rated airsoft gloves available on the market. This table works as a short alternative to airsoft gloves reviews.
Image | Name | Features | Price |
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TAC9ER Kevlar Lined Tactical Gloves |
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Check Price | |
FREETOO Knuckle Tactical Gloves |
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Check Price | |
PIG Full Dexterity Tactical (FDT) Delta Utility Gloves |
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Check Price | |
Glove Station The Combat Fingerless Tactical Gloves |
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Check Price | |
HIKEMAN Tactical Army Military Gloves |
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Check Price |
Best Picks of Airsoft Gloves
We’ve “handpicked” five of these products that we recommend for avid airsoft players. We’re giving these in-depth reviews so you have information to help you decide which product fits you.
In this section you’ll find out which product is the cheapest or has the best build quality.
#1: TAC9ER Kevlar Lined Tactical Gloves
- Weight: 7.2 Ounces
- Material: Microfiber, Kevlar, Polyester, PVC
- Brand: TAC9ER
- Size: Small
- Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
- Closure Type: Hook and Loop
- Measure Palm Diameter – Small: 3.00″ – 3.50″, Medium: 3.51″ – 3.80″,
Large: 3.81″ – 4.20″ XLarge: 4.21″ – 4.41″
This Kevlar-lined gives an impression that it is impenetrable by any kind of BB. Kevlar already possesses high tensile strength and durability. It’s resistant against puncturing and tearing. BBs shouldn’t give as much damage as they do when it makes contact with the glove.
This tactical glove has a wide velcro strap to secure it onto the hands. It’s very comfortable to wear. The layering gives the skin room to breathe so you don’t sweat a lot. The interior has linings of microfiber which means the chances of skin irritation is low.
The exterior of the TAC9ER has a thick padding for the knuckles and the area around the first finger joints. If you feel like punching something, at least you won’t injure yourself that much.
The fingers also allow you to use your smartphone as they’re electroconductive. No more fat finger syndrome when you need to make that important call in the middle of an airsoft game. It also works as good airsoft gloves for kids.
- Highly resistant to damage
- Very breathable so your sweat dries out
- Extra padding allows punching or rough hand activities
- Microfiber dries out easily and doesn’t irritate the skin
- Using smartphones with this device works
- Available in different sizes
- Velcro loses sticking power, but over a long period of time
- Doesn’t have a double XXL size
#2: FREETOO Knuckle Tactical Gloves
- Size: Medium
- Sport: Paintball
- Material: Leather, Rubber, Polyvinyl Chloride
- Brand: FREETOO
- Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
- Closure Type: Hook and Loop
- Strong Knuckle Protection
- Adjustable Wrist Velcro
- Wear-resistance and Better Grip
The Freeto Tactical gloves have a variety of materials layered. What stands out is the mesh fabric located above the knuckles. It’s the most breathable airsoft glove on the list that also offers protection.
Just like the TAC9ER, there area on the first finger joints have a layer of tough material. This should soften the impact to your hands if you’re swinging a mean left hook. These plastic pieces also have holes for excess heat and moisture to exit from. The velcro straps cover a decent area of the wrist.
The material used for the fingers is highly elastic so it gives a snug fit. It should be comfortable holding airsoft guns with this equipment. What’s great about the whole glove is it’s double-sewn. This product will last a long time.
In addition to product quality, it also has leather to give it a premium feel. The leather interlaces with microfiber to allow for more breathability.
- Reinforced fingertips help provide grip
- Breathable vents for heat and moisture
- Velcro straps make it easy to remove and readjust glove
- Offers enough flexibility and quality with leather laced with microfiber
- Fits your hand snugly
- Leather may provide suitable area for bacteria to grow
- Fingers may be too restrictive for people with massive hands
#3: PIG Full Dexterity Tactical (FDT) Delta Utility Gloves
- Full touchscreen compatible forefinger and thumb
- Fold-over finger construction to eliminate fingertip discomfort
- Single-layer palm for tactile sensitivity
- Bar-tacked paracord pull loop
- Updated Palm Area
- Available in Black, Coyote, Ranger Green,
Carbon Grey, Multicam Black
If you’re looking for the best gloves for airsoft, we recommend this product from PIG. It currently has the highest ceiling price for tactical airsoft gloves. Don’t be fooled with the oversimplified design. The PIG airsoft glove is a product that allows full hand freedom.
Unlike other products on the list, the PIG airsoft gloves eliminates the bulk. The PIG airsoft glove is easy to put onto the hand. It doesn’t have straps or any complicated locking mechanisms.
The layer for the palm is electroconductive. This means you can use your smartphone without any issues. It eliminates the fat finger problem like how the FREETO does. The PIG airsoft glove also has other applications other than airsoft games.
It’s a utility glove that you can use for onsite construction jobs, or for other sports as well. It’s high dexterity allows freedom for more hand movements. The paracord loop at the base of the palm means you can attach cables required for other sports.
- Provides wide range of hand movement
- Highly breathable materials helps reduce sweating
- Eliminates the need for straps with elastic entry
- Weighs less with minimalistic design
- Electroconductive palm surface means you can use your phone anytime
- May tear at areas with the most friction
- Electroconductive material peels off when not taken care of
#4: Glove Station The Combat Fingerless Tactical Gloves
- Reinforced Knuckle Molding to Maximize Protection During Operation
- Built With Double-Stitch Seams For Durability and Longevity Under Any Condition
- PU Leather Palm Enhances Friction and Grip
- Padded Mesh And Rubber Aero Vents On The Back For Faster Heat Dissipation
- Industry-Leading Protection Policy To Ensure 100% Satisfaction
If you don’t like your fingers inside gloves, the Glove Station fingerless gloves are a good fit. Electroconductive layers are cool and all. But if you have sweaty hands then this is what we recommend.
Even though the fingers don’t get as much protection, the hand has ample layers of cloth. You can simply clench your fists to make sure BBs won’t leave bruises on your fingers. The advantage you have with fingerless gloves is more dexterity.
The knuckles get a mesh design instead of a tough rubber material. This gives the covered parts of your hands room to breathe. Airsoft games can get intense so a way for moisture to dry out helps improve your playing experience.
You can secure the gloves using the wide velcro straps located on the wrist. This airsoft glove won’t fall off easily with this design feature. It doesn’t have the paracord found in the PIG airsoft glove but it has a similar loop.
- More breathing room for your fingers
- Additional dexterity provided with the fingerless design
- Secure fit with velcro straps
- Loop at the base of the palm for other attachments
- Mesh layer located at the knuckles for more breathing room
- Risk for finger injuries isn’t 100% preventable
- The glove isn’t contoured for a more perfect fit, but is tight enough to be secure
#5: HIKEMAN Tactical Army Military Gloves
- Brand: HIKEMAN
- Size: Medium
- Material: Faux Leather
- Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
- Closure Type: Hook and Loop
- Tactical Military Gloves
- Breathable Comfort
- Touch Screen Function
If you don’t want any other extra features and you want a basic protective glove, HIKEMAN is the best one. This airsoft glove is the cheapest among the list but provides the same protective capacity as the other ones.
Although basic in function, the manufacturers didn’t forget to make it visually-appealing. It has military-themed earth colors. It’s a good glove to use in bushy airsoft playing fields, and adds a camouflage function. It’s also a good set of cheap airsoft gloves.
The whole glove has faux leather layers that make it durable. You can use this for several airsoft games. You can expect it to not get wrecked on the first use. It’s also fashionable enough to use in other activities. It’s a cool-looking airsoft glove that you can use as a motorbike glove.
This airsoft glove won’t fall off easily. It has a hook-and-loop locking style to make sure it’s always on your hand during your games. The padding for the palms have texture to provide additional grip.
- Basic and functional design
- Beautiful faux-leather material
- Increased grip with textured palm layer
- Vents located on fingers to allow moisture to escape
- Double stitching makes sure the glove doesn’t tear with multiple uses
- Mesh design on knuckles give more ventilation
- Leather may peel off when handling extremely rough materials
- Hard plastic for the vents doesn’t provide same comfort as rubber does
What are the Best Gloves For Airsoft
The best gloves for airsoft are the ones that provide the most protection. The choice for the best airsoft gloves is already clear when basing on materials alone. Airsoft tactical gloves with kevlar layers guarantee maximum protection against BBs.
Comfort also is a factor in deciding if a glove is good for airsoft. But before that, there’s the issue of dexterity. The trigger on an airsoft gun isn’t exactly wide enough for fat fingers. Fingerless designs or elastic fingertips help solve this problem.
The best gloves for airsoft also have to be affordable. Despite having Kevlar, TAC9ER doesn’t hurt your budget, compared to the PIG gloves.
Types of Airsoft Gloves
We can classify airsoft gloves in various ways. We can classify them based on material. We can also categorize them based on the coverage. In this case, there’s full coverage and fingerless designs.
According to coverage
Full Coverage
Full coverage airsoft gloves means all the areas of the hand have a good amount of protection. This is especially useful if you value the defensive capabilities of your equipment. They usually have multiple layers. They also use a variety of materials for different areas of the hands.
Fingerless
Fingerless gloves trade protection for more dexterity. In a way they can also be under partial dexterity gloves. Fingerless gloves are good for people who have really big fingers. The size of your fingers affects your ability to play airsoft properly.
Handling a gun is definitely easier if you don’t have extra bulk around your trigger finger. This also gives you more feedback from your fingers if you prefer direct tactile contact.
According to range of motion
Full Dexterity
Full dexterity gloves don’t restrict the range of movement along joints. A way for manufacturers to achieve this is subtractive in nature. They do this by lessening the amount of material where creases form. Full dexterity airsoft gloves usually use less material than partial counterparts.
This enables more fine hand movements. It can be especially useful for airsoft players who prefer sniper rifles. This is if you excel at sniping instead of using CQB-type airsoft guns. The extra freedom your hands have will impact the efficiency of handling any type of airsoft gun.
Partial Dexterity
Partial dexterity gloves give your hands more movement without fully compromising protection. Partial dexterity airsoft gloves take cues from full dexterity gloves. It has less materials around areas where movement occurs i.e. joints.
You will expect partial dexterity gloves to have full coverage most of the time. Fingerless airsoft gloves can also be under partial dexterity gloves. They technically have nothing restricting the fingers from moving.
Things to Consider Before Buying Airsoft Gloves
There are several considerations you have to think about before purchasing any equipment. The same applies before buying airsoft gloves. We’ve made sure the five products we’ve listed here pass those considerations.
Pricing
You may ask yourself, should I always get the cheapest airsoft gloves? It’s not a bad decision to save yourself a few bucks. If you want to go this route, make sure that it covers all the basic functions of an airsoft glove.
Pricing may also affect the airsoft glove’s design. Brands put in considerable effort in making sure the design appeals to the customer base. Simpler designs should have lesser prices but this isn’t always the case. The PIG airsoft gloves are a good example.
Materials
Manufacturers also make sure your hands get the protection it needs. The number of materials in an airsoft glove affects its durability. The number of layers is directly proportional to its protective capabilities.
Materials commonly used in airsoft gloves are also found in vests. These can range from anything to cotton to more advanced textiles like kevlar. According to this website, the toughest textiles include canvas and denim. Canvas is one of the materials used on the five products on our list.
Design
The design on an airsoft glove determines if it’s marketable. It also ties in with the other considerations like pricing and material quality. There are textiles that are more difficult to incorporate in an airsoft glove.
Generally, the tougher the material, the more processing it requires. This is a big consideration during the production phase. In turn, this process means a higher price. The best designs maximize the materials used in an airsoft glove. It should find balance between quality, pricing, comfort, and visual appeal.
Comfort
Let’s face it. We’d want to return items if they don’t address the needs we’re after. We don’t really like wearing rigid airsoft gloves so partial dexterity is at least a requirement. There’s the issue of sweating and skin irritation in bulky airsoft gloves.
An airsoft glove using mesh to partially cover the hands gives breathability. It also helps prolong the life of an airsoft glove since mesh is naturally flexible. Since sweat is slightly acidic, ventilation holes prevent the fibers from wearing out.
These considerations will help you narrow down your selections. These will help you when buying any airsoft glove. You should aim for airsoft gloves that cover all these considerations.
How to Use Airsoft Gloves
In this section of this article, we’re going to tell you the proper way of using airsoft gloves. These covers how to wear airsoft gloves properly. It also includes how to clean your airsoft gloves.
Wearing airsoft gloves
Sizing
The good thing about most of the products we’ve listed here is that they provide you a way to measure your hand size. This makes it easier to choose what glove size to buy.
- Choose your dominant hand
- Place it on flat surface with palms facing upwards
- Wrap a tape measure below your knuckles, making sure to exclude your thumb
- Your ideal glove size is half an inch longer than your actual hand size.
Fitting
Airsoft gloves may or may not follow the contour of your hands. Most airsoft gloves will not so the best work around is to decide based on the material. Cotton gloves stretch a little to accommodate various types of hands.
There are textiles which use blended materials. This blend helps achieve a balance between comfort and design. These usually are what comprise the inner layers of an airsoft glove.
How to Clean Your Gloves
Kevlar
Cleaning your gloves is easy. Higher priced airsoft gloves have more resilience. It owes this to the nature of materials used. Kevlar, for example, is not an inexpensive item. What’s good about Kevlar is that it can go into a laundry machine. Kevlar also increases in strength when it’s washed.
Cotton
Denim and cotton-based fabrics are washable. The only problem is that these items shrink. If your gloves have denim components, make sure to hang them out in the sun. Allowing them to dry out slowly will not affect the materials’ performance.
Leather
There are products on our list that have leather components. You cannot put these gloves in a washing machine as it will cause the leather to dry out and peel off. The best way to clean airsoft gloves with leather is to wipe it with a cloth.
You can use a weak solution of soap and warm water to remove stains of debris. o not attempt to submerge leather in water.
Conclusion
The one which comes out on top for the best airsoft gloves is the TAC9ER Kevlar Lined Tactical Gloves. This product meets several criteria. It’s made with a variety of fabrics. It has kevlar which is a fabric that has the ability to minimize injuries.
It’s also priced reasonably and doesn’t exceed $50. It’s a good investment. There are other cheaper alternatives on the list. But the materials used in this glove trumps every other product. What’s great about these gloves is its lack of leather. Cleaning should not be a problem.
An honorable mention is PIG’s Delta Utility Gloves. If you’re willing to spend extra for comfort, it’s another glove you can wear to your airsoft games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need gloves for airsoft?
Yes. You need to wear airsoft gloves during play. The reason behind this is simple. If you’ve read our articles regarding airsoft masks, you’ll understand why.
A study includes airsoft ammunition as a possible cause for injury. Even low FPS airsoft guns injure. This happens if the distance between the gun to the body is too close. This is more dangerous if these were targeting the eye instead of bare skin.
Your choice of gloves doesn’t matter as long as it has enough layers to cushion the impact of BB pellets. If you want a more comfortable experience, consider using PIG Full Dexterity Tactical.
Is it weird to wear fingerless gloves?
Fingerless gloves are an option for people who value dexterity. It’s also applicable if you want comfort above protection. The tradeoff is you risk getting finger-related injuries. The advantage of wearing fingerless gloves is you have more control of your airsoft gun.
This continues with other types of activities. The feedback from your fingers gets reduced if you’re wearing gloves (Dianat et al., 2012, 1421-1459). That’s the reason why there’s a glove mode on most android phones. Some of the gloves we’ve listed here have electroconductive material. This helps you use your phone without taking off your gloves.